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The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 71 at Prostate Health
and with unity; I shall be forced to be prudent,which is half the success in an affair of the kind I amundertaking; a greater number might, perhaps, have drawn meinto some folly. Ten horses are not many, either to buy ortake. A capital idea; what tranquillity it infuses into mymind! no more suspicions -- no passwords -- no more dangers!Ten men, they are valets or clerks. Ten men, leading tenhorses laden with merchandise of whatever kind, aretolerated, well received everywhere. Ten men travel onaccount of the house of Planchet & Co., of France -- nothingcan be said against that. These ten men, clothed likemanufacturers, have a good cutlass or a good musket at theirsaddle-bow, and a good pistol in the holster. They neverallow themselves to be uneasy, because they have no evildesigns. They are, perhaps, in truth, a little disposed tobe smugglers, but what harm is in that? Smuggling is not,like polygamy, a hanging offense. The worst that can happento us is the confiscation of our merchandise. Ourmerchandise confiscated -- fine affair that! Come, come! itis a superb plan. Ten men only -- ten men, whom I willengage for my service; ten men who shall be as resolute asforty, who would cost me four times as much, and to whom,for greater security, I will never open my mouth as to mydesigns, and to whom I shall only say, `My friends, there isa blow to be struck. Things being after this fashion, Satanwill be very malicious if he plays me one of his tricks.Fifteen thousand livres saved -- thats superb -- out oftwenty!"Thus fortified by his laborious calculations, DArtagnanstopped at this plan, and determined to change nothing init. He had already on a list furnished by his inexhaustiblememory, ten men illustrious amongst the seekers ofadventures, ill-treated by fortune, and not on good termswith justice. Upon this DArtagnan rose, and instantly setoff on the search, telling Planchet not to expect him tobreakfast, and perhaps not to dinner. A day and a half spentin rummaging amongst certain dens of Paris sufficed for hisrecruiting; and, without allowing his adventurers tocommunicate with each other, he had picked up and gottogether, in less than thirty hours, a charming collectionof ill-looking faces, speaking a French less pure than theEnglish they were about to attempt. These men were, for themost part, guards, whose merit DArtagnan had had anopportunity of appreciating in various encounters, whomdrunkenness, unlucky sword-thrusts, unexpected winnings atplay, or the economical reforms of Mazarin, had forced toseek shade and solitude, those two great consolers ofirritated and chafing spirits. They bore upon theircountenances and in their vestments the traces of theheartaches they had undergone. Some had their visagesscarred, -- all had their clothes in rags. DArtagnancomforted the most needy of these brotherly miseries by aprudent distribution of the crowns of the society; then,having taken care that these crowns should be employed inthe physical improvement of the troop, he appointed atrysting place in the north of France, between Berghes andSaint Omer. Six days were allowed as the utmost term, andDArtagnan was sufficiently acquainted with the good-will,the good-humor, and the relative probity of theseillustrious recruits, to be certain that not one of themwould fail in his appointment. These orders given, thisrendezvous fixed, he went to bid farewell to Planchet, whoasked news of his army. DArtagnan did not think proper toinform him of the reduction he had made in his personnel. Hefeared that the confidence of his associate would be abatedby such an avowal. Planchet was delighted to learn that thearmy was levied, and that he (Planchet) found himself a kindof half king, who from his throne-counter kept in pay a bodyof troops destined to make war against perfidious Albion,that enemy of all true French hearts. Planchet paid down indouble louis, twenty thousand livres to DArtagnan, on thepart of himself (Planchet), and twenty thousand livres,still in double louis, in account with DArtagnan.DArtagnan placed each of the twenty thousand francs in abag, and weighing a hag in each hand, -- "This money is veryembarrassing, my dear Planchet," said he. "Do you know thisweighs thirty pounds?""Bah! your horse will carry that like a feather."DArtagnan shook his head. "Dont tell me such things,Planchet: a horse overloaded with thirty pounds, in additionto the rider and
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